Korea vs. Brazil: Key Players Who Must Lead Brazil to Gold Medal Match

Brazil received a much tougher test from Honduras than the heavily-favored squad was probably expecting, but that experience should help moving forward.  Starting with when the Brazilians will face off with South Korea on Tuesday for a spot in the gold medal match.

It's another match where all of the pressure will be squarely on the shoulders of Marco Menezes' side, which will allow Korea to play more freely. In order to counteract that, the South American powerhouse needs huge performances from its stars.

Here's a look at three players who must lead the way if Brazil is going to punch its ticket to the final on Saturday.

Leandro Damiao

After being overshadowed by the team's plentiful star power heading into the Games, Damiao has enjoyed a breakout tournament. He's scored four goals, including two gigantic tallies against Honduras, to make his presence felt.

Now that he's proven he can hold his own against some of the world's best young players, that type of production will be expected over the final two games. Rising expectations are always tough to deal with, especially when the stakes are already high to begin with.

Damiao's strong play has given Brazil the offensive depth they need to win gold. It's crucial his level of play doesn't drop off, however, because it will be tough to replace at this point.

Neymar

It's becoming more difficult with each passing match to develop new ways of describing Neymar's greatness. It has reached a point where every time he touches the ball fans are expecting something amazing to happen, and he often delivers.

Look for South Korea's entire defensive approach to be focused on stopping him. The only chance the underdogs have of pulling off the upset will be making sure Neymar doesn't control the game like he has throughout the tournament.

That means Neymar will need to spend more time setting up plays for teammates like Damiao and Alexandre Pato to create scoring chances. He won't be able to win this one by himself.

Gabriel

Brazil has been playing an aggressive style throughout the Olympics, which has allowed the attack to be extremely dangerous, but also left some holes at the back. Honduras nearly made the Brazilians pay for a lack of strong play at the back.

It's hard to imagine Brazil changing formations or tactics this deep into the tournament, which simply means Gabriel will have to step up between the pipes. The 19-year-old goalkeeper has been inconsistent during his starts so far.

In order for Brazil to defeat South Korea, he will probably need to make at least two or three key saves to give his offense enough time to take control of the game. He can't afford any gaffes.